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Behind the Scenes With Suzette: My First Virtual Travel Conference

Virtuoso Travel Week wrapped up recently, a huge event normally held in Las Vegas, which went virtual for the first time. While I missed seeing my colleagues and travel partners in person, the outcome was the same:  strong connections with the people who have the most influence over my clients’ travel experience, who will hand select their hotel room and VIP them, and who I will call on for support with a special request or a problem.

Suzette Mack with team from Africa

A supplier’s network of contacts and personal relationships with hotels in the destination are my most important consideration when selecting who to partner with for my clients’ trips.

Of course it’s a sales event as well, and I love getting the inside scoop on what’s new and what’s going on behind the scenes that you won’t find on the internet.

Some highlights this year:

  • An adventure tour operator has structured their pricing so 6-7 travelers can take over many of their tour dates as a private trip with no increase in cost. How great for family groups or couples traveling together!
  • A sneak peak at two new resorts: one opening soon in Sonoma wine country, and something completely unique on the Pacific Coast of Mexico.
New hotels in Sonoma Wine Country and the Pacific Coast of Mexico

Exciting new hotels opening in late 2020 – reservations being accepted now!

  • Suppliers are working on vetting more private luxury beach houses, villas, and apartments so we can book them with confidence for our clients.
  • Some resorts have interconnecting 2-4 bedroom options, but they are not advertised on their website because they have to manually block them. We must contact our sales reps to book these.
  • A luxury cycling company has the motto is BIKE – EAT – DRINK – SLEEP.  You can choose your priorities!
Cycling tour in Zion National Park

A Southwest national parks trip includes a visit to lesser known Snow Canyon State Park.

  • Hotels are coming up with creative ways to make the vacation experience special while still social distancing:  private movie nights offered on bungalow patios, mobile bar carts instead of public bars.
  • A Sedona resort is debuting a new adventure center for hikers and mountain bikers. Talk with an expert to pick the right trail, and rent top of the line gear.
  • Several guest ranches are open through winter with fun programs for families.
Guest ranch lodge with christmas tree

Ranches offer a “home away from home” winter experience, with accommodations from lodge rooms to cozy private cabins to multi-bedroom fully-equipped homes.

  • One of the most exciting and innovative developments: A few resorts have announced homeschool packages, where they will provide remote learning space and staff so kids can keep up with coursework while the parents work.

Holiday space is starting to book up, and I can confirm that as I have had two clients this week find out the resort they wanted is not available. But many properties which normally sell out by now do have space.  Cancellation policies are more flexible than usual (some even up 24-48 hours prior to arrival), so planning now is risk-free for at least several months.

St Regis Bora Bora overwater bungalow

Virtuoso exclusives in Bora Bora include 4th night free, daily breakfast (some  with dinner, too), $100 hotel credit, and roundtrip airport shuttle.

Also check out Virtuoso’s recap of the 9 Best Things Learned at Virtuoso Travel Week.

I didn’t attend any cocktail parties, but I did get martini tips from a bartender in London. And I bonded over a love of boxers with the owner of a beautiful Tuscany resort who’s also a Michelin chef. (I don’t speak Italian, but I think  our dogs may be betrothed now??)

Screenshots of meeting with Tuscany resort owner and luxury hotel in London

Il Falconiere, a Relais & Chateaux property in Cortona, and Egerton House, one of only 15 Forbes 5 star hotels in London.

Whether or not to plan travel now is a personal choice, but if you hope to get away in 2021 (or even 2022 for big trips like Africa), we should talk.  Drop me a note or give me a call at 408-223-6155, I’m always happy to talk travel!

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Behind the Scenes With Suzette: Navigating Travel Insurance

As I wrote previously, my colleagues and I have invested a lot of time learning about the various travel insurance products available. While similar on the surface, they have nuances that can determine whether or not they provide adequate coverage for a client’s particular trip. So I am amazed that anyone would book a trip and simply click a box saying they will purchase the insurance offered by that supplier.  (But at least they are buying some form of insurance!)

My clients tend to fall into two groups:

> Those that understand the value of travel protection, and expect me to send them a quote as soon as they’ve booked their trip.

> Those that say they have never purchased it because they’ve never had to cancel a trip, or it’s not worth the money.

First, I don’t know anyone who has a crystal ball that guarantees no unexpected emergency will happen that could cause them to cancel. Second, many clients are surprised to find out how inexpensive insurance can be.  (The rule of thumb is 5-7% of the trip cost, and families pay even less on policies that include free coverage for children.) And there are many other benefits offered besides trip cancellation coverage which can make having a policy pay off.

Zodiac boat on snorkeling tour in Hawaii

Reimbursement for dropping personal items in the ocean can recoup the costs of an insurance policy. Take it from my personal experience! (Photo credit: Ryan Mack)

♦ Expert Tip ♦
Buy a policy as soon as you make any payment on a trip, otherwise you can lose out on coverage
for pre-existing conditions or financial default. You can add more coverage
as you book other components of the trip. And be sure you
understand all the terms and conditions to qualify for that coverage.

What do my colleagues and I learn in training sessions and updates from our insurance reps?

  • How do we ensure clients are covered for pre-existing medical conditions, and what is considered a pre-existing condition?
  • How do we ensure clients are covered for financial default, and how is “financial default” defined?
  • How is “family member” defined?
  • What documents are needed to file a claim successfully?
  • Which suppliers offer “cancel for any reason” coverage and what are the terms?
  • What upgrades are available for unique situations not normally covered: pregnancy, a cancelled wedding, an ill pet, civil disorder?
Vacation home in Bodega Bay with view of ocean

Bliss in Bodega Bay, California.

♦ Expert Tip ♦
Losses related to a home, villa, or apartment rental booked directly with the owner are not ususally covered.
The booking must be made with a travel supplier, which include the companies travel advisors work with.

There are also travel packages that offer vacation protection plans with coverage that may be better than traditional travel insurance policies.  For example, one of my clients was able to cancel their trip with less than 24 hours notice when COVID-19 was just starting to spread, and they didn’t want to be out of the country, because they had “Cancel For Any Reason” coverage. Most insurance policies cut off this benefit 48 hrs or more prior to travel. This can be an important factor in determining the best way to book a client’s trip.

It’s true that there are some things travel insurance doesn’t cover. In fact, I was quoted in a Forbes article on this topic. While it doesn’t cover cancellation for pandemics or government restrictions, a traveler is generally covered if they get coronavirus or fail a COVID-19 test. And you definitely want coverage if you fall ill and/or are quarantined in a hospital or hotel while traveling. Some destinations now require visitors show proof of insurance and coverage for quarantine expenses and medical evacuation.

♦ Expert Tip ♦
If you don’t need or want trip cancellation coverage, buy a barebones policy
to get the other benefits including coverage for medical expenses, medical evacuation, baggage damage/loss,
24×7 emergency support, and more. This is especially recommended when traveling
to a destination that may require large advance payments for treatment.

Traveleres on Lindblad expedition in Svalbard viewing polar bear on ice floe

Cruising in a remote location? You need travel insurance to cover evacuation from the ship to the nearest medical facility, and medical evacuation coverage to pay for transportation to the hospital of your choice.  (Photo credit: Lindblad Expeditions client on Svaldbard polar bear cruise)

When it comes to travel insurance, most travelers don’t know what they don’t know. Our job as professional travel advisors is to know what questions to ask our clients, so we can recommend the products that would provide the best protection for their specific needs.

Disclaimer:  The information presented here may not apply to all travel insurance products, and can change at any time. Contact the insurance provider to answer technical questions about benefits, exclusions, and conditions of any of the insurance they offer.

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Behind the Scenes with Suzette: Doing Business During a Pandemic

It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post, January 29 to be exact.  I just reviewed it, and though the world has changed dramatically since then, it’s still relevant, as is the one before it (How to Travel Well in 2020). While travel is mostly paused right now, I’m going to pull back the curtain on the life of a travel advisor in a series of “behind the scenes” posts.

When people ask how I am doing, they are often surprised at how busy I continue to be, months after the crisis first erupted.

Me in March 2020

I can only speak for myself, but I suspect my life has been similar to most travel advisors.  Here’s how I spend my time:

Managing cancelled trips – Unraveling all arrangements, re-booking for 2021 where possible. Requesting and tracking refunds and credits.  Assisting with travel insurance claims, or  transferring/pausing unused policies.

Managing upcoming trips – Staying on top of new payment and cancellation policies, preparing to pivot to a new plan as conditions change.  Monitoring COVID-19 updates and restrictions for destinations.

♦ Expert Tip ♦
Passport applications and renewals have been on hold
since mid-March, and it’s expected to take months to catch up.
See the State Dept website for updates.

Educating myself –  Attending webinars on the domestic trips that are in high demand as the country opens up, such as national parks, RV vacations, ranches and lodges, and private home and villa rentals. Keeping up with industry news to stay on top of new developments.
bison at vermejo park rank

Vermejo Park Ranch, a Ted Turner Reserve

Communicating with colleagues – Sharing resources for finding the most accurate information about suppliers, destinations, and health and travel advisories.  Sharing personal anecdotes about airline and hotel experiences so we can best advise our clients. And sharing news on our personal lives, to feel more connected during this difficult time.

Meeting with hotels – Learning when are they opening, what services are they offering, what health and sanitation procedures they are implementing.

presentation on hotel post-COVID 19 plans

An udpate from one of our California hotel partners. I hope to visit there soon!

Meeting with travel suppliers – Getting their expert insider information on destinations, updates on booking and cancellation terms, and their frank opinion on what to expect in the coming months.

Diving deep into travel insurance– Understanding COVID-19 coverage, staying up to date on procedures for claims and new policies, getting training on various insurance companies and their products.  Despite some bad press about coverage being limited in a pandemic, there are still many ways travel insurance can protect a traveler’s investment. More on that in a future post.

♦ Expert Tip ♦
It’s very important to get a policy as soon as you make ANY payment on a trip,
in order to be eligible for all the coverage available.
You can update it later if things change.

 

I created an Instagram poll last month to see how people were feeling about travel.  Here are the questions and the results.

travel survey during coronavirus

If you’d like to contribute, send your answers to suzette@suzettemacktravel.com.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and keep dreaming!

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How To Travel Well in 2020

In a podcast for travel professionals,  I recently heard a quote that resonated with me, and it came from someone I consider a friend and mentor:

“In service experiences you don’t get do-overs”
Kerry Dyer, Brownell Travel

What immediately followed in my mind was that you don’t get a do-over on your dream vacation, either. I, like most of my colleagues,  gave up a successful career to start anew in the travel industry, because we wanted to help make travel dreams come true for others. Yes, we are running a business with the goal of making money.  But we chose travel because we love building the relationship with our clients, understanding their priorities and needs, and designing the perfect trip just for them.  However there is no joy in finding out they were disappointed, or worse, they ran into serious problems.  No amount of money makes up for the feeling that we let our clients down.

Meeting a baby gray whale Magdalena Bay in Baja (Lindblad Expeditions, March 2019)

Fortunately things don’t go wrong often. But it’s also not an accident that things go right most of the time.  And I strongly believe the key to that is in my supplier partnerships, the people I entrust to take care of my clients wherever they are in the world, no matter what happens.

So my responsibilities to my clients are:

  • Select the suppliers carefully depending on my client’s needs, the type of trip they desire, and the destination.
  • Cultivate strong relationships with these suppliers so we have mutual trust and respect, and can work effectively and efficiently to make our client’s trip the best it can be.

Tahiti Cruise (Windstar, August 2019)

Why is this important going into 2020?  Because travel demand continues to grow at a rapid pace.  I celebrated my best year ever in 2019, earning a place in Brownell’s 1887 Club.  But this growth also meant there were more challenges in booking and managing travel, and who I choose to partner with in 2020 and beyond is becoming more important than ever.

Frozen Charles River (Boston, Jan 2019)

Suppliers are competing for resources.  A supplier who has their own guides and vehicles, and also has strong personal connections, and is highly regarded by his or her colleagues,  can more reliably offer the best service versus suppliers who are outsource everything to third parties.  This really comes to light when problems occur, asthe true test of a supplier’s worthiness is how they handle a crisis.

Most recently we’ve seen travelers throughout France finding it difficult to rely on public transportation.  Our suppliers have been lining up private drivers on short notice so our clients’ touring plans are not impacted. Airline strikes have forced clients to rebook or reroute their trips, and incur additional costs. While this is a “gray area” with travel insurance suppliers, our strong relationship with our insurance rep has smoothed the path to quickly resolve claims.

Lovely evening stroll in Antibes (Dec, 2019)

Private home and apartment rentals are growing in popularity, but they are prone to fraud, and quality control is difficult. I can attest from personal experience (before I was in the industry and knew better) to the panic that ensues when you show up at your rental, late at night, with no key to be found, and the management office closed. Fortunately my problem was resolved in a few hours once I was able to reach the homeowner and get a spare key from a nearby relative.  We seek out partners who have direct relationships with the property owners/managers, provide 24×7 emergency support, and have demonstrated a commitment to customer service.

Meeting the Vermejo Ranch residents (New Mexico, Sep 2019)

Yesterday an article came out advising travelers where they should not go in 2020. The primary reasons were overtourism, which was becoming detrimental to the environment or residents, to the traveler experience, or both.  The concerns are legitimate, but rather than avoid these destinations, they can be experienced in a different way.  Our supplier’s personal contacts, resources, and innovative ideas can get my clients away from the crowds, and often provide a more authentic experience. But I won’t send a client “off the beaten track” with just anybody.

Christmas Market on Marienplatz (Munich, Dec 2019)

The last industry event I attended in 2019 was the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes. It’s not just a networking event, it was an opportunity for me to meet one on one with potential suppliers to ask hard questions about how they run their business and what advantage they offer over their competitors. And now I have a name and a face, and a shared experience, which has created a connection between us when I reach out to talk about a potential trip. (Spending an hour trying to find your Uber driver in Antibes who doesn’t speak English is a good team building exercise!)  In ANY business, building relationships is crucial, but even more so in the hospitality industry.

Walking up the same red carpet as the film stars in Cannes (ILTM, Dec 2019)

The good news is that I have many wonderful suppliers who are great partners, that care just as much as I do about my clients.  So I look forward to helping clients fulfill their travel dreams in 2020 and beyond.

~ Happy New Year From My Family To Yours!!  ~

 

Boston University Graduation (May, 2019)

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10 Fun Facts About Vermejo Ranch, a Ted Turner Reserve

I had the great pleasure to visit Vermejo Park Ranch in northern New Mexico recently. I had heard of Ted Turner Reserves, and assumed they were just another luxury guest ranch.  I learned they are so much more, and why Vermejo is often referred to as a private national park.

  1. Exceeding 550,000 acres, the ranch is approximately the size of Rhode Island, and only six National Parks are larger.

    map of vermejo ranch

    The yellow arrow marks the location of the main lodge.

  2. When the ranch is at full capacity, every guest would have over 8000 acres to themselves. It is the largest contiguous ranch in the US.
    view of vermejo landscape while hiking

    Views for miles, and we can only see a small part!

    bar and lounge in vermejo ranch lodge

    Our favorite gathering place after a day of activity.

  3. The driveway is 45 miles long (the road starts at the far right of the map, near the border with Colorado).

    entrance sign to vermejo ranch

    Entering the boundaries of the ranch. Our adventure begins soon!

  4. There were only 97 bison when Ted Turner bought the property. Now there are approximately 1500, including some genetically pure Yellowstone bison. There are >50,000 bison across all Ted Turner properties.

    bison crossing road in vermejo

    Looks like Yellowstone, but without the traffic and crowds.

  5. Botanical specimens from the early 1900’s were discovered in the attic by Jane Fonda, and are now on display in historic Casa Grande mansion.
    framed botanic specimens in casa grande at vermejo ranch

    The label says “Plants of New Mexico” and the date is September 1913.

    casa grande exterior at vermejo ranch

    Casa Grande is 25,000 sq ft with rooms and suites for guests, plus gorgeous public spaces. Another historic building is being restored and will open in 2020.

  6. Rio Grande cutthroat trout were almost on the endangered species list until Ted Turner rehabilitated the creeks in Vermejo, removing non-native species. Now genetically pure Rio Grande cutthroats can be fished exclusively on the ranch.

    Wildlife and streams by the lodge at Vermejo

    Beautiful scenery and wildlife right out the front door of the lodge.

  7. Parts of the ranch are frozen in time with an old coal mine, charcoal kilns, abandoned homesteads, a turn of the century cemetery, and native American artifacts.

    coal kilns at vermejo

    A fun setting for a special lunch!

  8. Costilla Lodge is a certified LEED Silver solar-power ecolodge in a private location 45 minutes from the main lodge.  The lodge is available for full buyouts (occupany 16), and is perfect for corporate or family groups. You can even customize your menu!

    Costilla Lodge at Vermejo

    Imagine having this place all to yourself. Great food, great views, great guides.

  9. Casa Grande looks remarkbly much like it did a hundred years ago.

    The Grand Entry and Great Room in the earl 1900’s. Source: “Vermejo Park Ranch a History”

    Casa Grande interior

    Casa Grande today.

  10. Depending on the time of year, guests can go shed hunting, or on an early morning elk safari. And there are many other activities including biking, hiking, horseback riding, and geocaching.
    vermejo ranch scenery

    Ready for a scramble up Castle Rock. (And for those of you wondering, no ticks here!)

    alpine lake at vermejo ranch

    I love alpine lakes!

Vermejo is not just a place to spend an one of a kind vacation, but a chance to witness one of North America’s greatest conservation comeback stories.  Because each visit is customized, contact me for more information on what to expect and how to plan, and also to receive our exclusive Virtuoso amenities.

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